Guardian Angel
by L.C. Li
Summary: When Chu Ga Eul, the daughter of a very wealthy and influential businessman, starts receiving death threats, a certain bodyguard is assigned to keep her safe. AU. SoEul.
1. First Encounter

_**(A/N: SoEul has been my OTP for a while now, but I've never had an idea for a fic revolving around them.**_

_**...Until now.)**_

* * *

**Guardian Angel**

**1  
**_first encounter_

::-::

The Chu residential complex is known for its extravagance. Even So Yi Jeong, who has seen his fair share of mansions and modern-day palaces, cannot help but admire its long, winding pathways, its clean-cut architecture, its fairytale gardens. He takes his time to make his way through, studying not only the plants and the buildings, but also analyzing all possible entrances and exits as well as potential angles of fire.

Eventually, he reaches a pavilion by the complex's pond. There, his employer, Mr. Chu, is waiting.

"Ah, Yi Jeong-ssi," Mr. Chu says. "Punctual as usual."

Yi Jeong stops before him, bowing slightly. "Thank you for hiring me, sir," he says crisply.

"Of course, of course," Mr. Chu says, waving his hand. "You have received very high praise from all of your references and have a remarkable amount of experience, especially for your age. It was hardly a difficult decision."

Yi Jeong only bows again.

"As you have probably heard by now, your charge is to be my daughter, Chu Ga Eul," Mr. Chu says. "You will look after her safety wherever she might go—work, downtown, the Alps, everywhere."

Yi Jeong nods wordlessly.

Mr. Chu lowers his voice. "I don't know how much my secretary told you, but you must realize how important this is."

"Do not worry, sir. I am well aware."

Mr. Chu fidgets slightly. "It isn't only being aware, Yi Jeong. Ga Eul-ie thinks I'm hiring you just to be safe, but... I haven't told her just how severe the situation is."

Yi Jeong feels a tingle of curiosity despite himself. "And how severe is the situation?"

Mr. Chu spins around, clasping his hands behind his back. "Come with me," he says. "I will show you."

He leads Yi Jeong to his study—pristine in every way, from the scrubbed marble floors to the intricately carved executive chair to the polished mahogany desk. It almost distracts Yi Jeong from the large box of overflowing letters settled in the center of the room.

"In this box," says Mr. Chu, tapping one side of the box with a slim finger, "are death threats and hate mail, all addressed to my daughter. They have doubled in frequency recently, probably due to my newly released statement concerning my political stance."

Yi Jeong cautiously picks a letter from the box, shooting Mr. Chu a questioning glance. Mr. Chu nods in approval.

"Look at whatever you wish," Mr. Chu says. "It might even help you learn the habits of any potential attackers."

Yi Jeong gingerly prods the envelope open, scanning through its contents. It is a spiteful letter from a high school classmate—or perhaps their parent, judging from several alarming phrases said about Mr. Chu as well.

"Each letter is like this?" he says, dropping the envelope back into the box.

Mr. Chu digs through the pile of mail, pulling out another envelope. "No," he says. "Most are worse."

Yi Jeong takes it, feeling as if something is lodged in his throat. He reluctantly peruses the letter's contents, frowning at the strong descriptions of murder threats that the writer pens. "Does your daughter—that is, is she—easily misunderstood?"

Mr. Chu chuckles at his cautious wording. "That is the most polite I have heard anyone word that question," he says.

"So—is that a yes?"

Mr. Chu shakes his head. "It is a no from me," he says, "but you will be able to see for yourself quite soon."

He leaves the office. Yi Jeong follows.

::-::

Mr. Chu is called away on account of a business emergency before he can introduce them.

"My sincere apologies," he says as he shrugs his suit jacket on. "Would you prefer to have a formal introduction later, or would you like to meet her now?"

"Sooner would probably be better," Yi Jeong replies. "She may need some time to get used to... new arrangements."

Mr. Chu nods with an approving smile. "Very well. You know where her room is?"

"You have showed me the blueprints of the house, sir."

"You have already memorized it?"

"It is my duty, sir."

Mr. Chu lets out a booming laugh. "I am very glad I have found you, So Yi Jeong," he says, and before Yi Jeong can ask him what he means by that, he is already out the door.

::-::

Chu Ga Eul's door is unlocked, so when Yi Jeong gets no reply after knocking softly, he decides to enter.

What he sees is captivating—an angelic creature, with flawless, soft features, hunched slightly over a potter's wheel, perfect lips pressed together in concentration as she forms a vase with gentle hands. She is so focused that he stays by the door, not wanting to intrude.

His charge is attractive. Very, _very_ attractive.

That is not a good thing.

Presently, she withdraws from the wheel and stands, stretching her arms with a contented smile on her face. He takes the opportunity to quietly knock on the wall.

"Ga Eul-ssi?" he says.

She turns around, eyebrows lifted slightly in curiosity. She freezes at seeing him, her eyes fixed on his face, lips parted slightly in—shock? Fear?

"My apologies," he says. "I didn't mean to alarm you." He slowly moves closer, assessing her body language to make sure that he is not frightening her. "My name is So Yi Jeong. Effective today, I am to be your bodyguard."

She makes a strange noise—something between a squeak and a hiccup—but makes no move to back away. "B-bodyguard?" she mumbles, as if in a daze.

He bows his head slightly, forcing his eyes away from her. "Yes," he says.

"I—see," she says, twisting her clay-laden hands in her apron. "Well—it's very nice to meet you... Yi Jeong-ssi."

The way she says his name—softly, cautiously—makes his pulse skyrocket. It takes every ounce of his concentration to make sure that his expression does not flicker.

This job would be harder than he thought.

::-::

Chu Ga Eul quickly retreats into the safety of her bathroom for a few minutes to process _what exactly is happening._

She must have acted like a complete fool back there... but she couldn't help it. The last thing she had expected was for a young man to enter her room and introduce himself as her new bodyguard—much less a man that looked like _that._

Chu Ga Eul prides herself on not being shallow—no celebrity crushes for her—but even she had been stricken by just how _handsome_ So Yi Jeong was. Perfectly sculpted features, gorgeous hair that looked effortlessly styled, muscular yet trim figure... How such a person had decided to dedicate his life to being a bodyguard instead of a model or an actor is beyond her comprehension.

Ga Eul scrubs voraciously at her hands in the bathroom sink, suddenly feeling quite self-conscious. She is only in a casual tee and some jeans, covered with a baggy, ugly apron, with traces of clay on her hair and face. Had she known that she would get such a visitor...

_Oh, stop it, Ga Eul-ah,_ she reprimands herself. _He is your bodyguard, not a date._ She scrubs even harder at her hands. _He probably already has a girlfriend, anyway._

That thought brings her back to her senses. She unties her apron and dries her hands. After taking a deep breath, she slips out the bathroom door and into the unknown.

::-::

They are introduced formally after dinner.

So Yi Jeong stands before her as Mr. Chu slowly paces between them, his hands clasped behind his back. He begins detailing Yi Jeong's duties: verifying that Ga Eul is protected at every moment, including eating and sleeping; supervising her commute between home and work; escorting her both inside and outside the house. The list makes Yi Jeong feel like some awkward cross between a babysitter and a stalker.

Thankfully, Ga Eul does not appear unsettled by such arrangements. Even when Mr. Chu mentions that Yi Jeong is to sleep in the same room as her—albeit on the other side of a partition—she quickly masks her brief alarm with a demure smile.

"Understood, Father," she says.

Yi Jeong inclines his head in respect. "I will not misplace your trust, sir," he says.

Mr. Chu only nods. "I know you won't," he says cryptically, and sweeps from the room, leaving the two alone.

::-::

When they retire to her room, Yi Jeong expects her to ignore him; to go about her business as usual; to pretend that he doesn't exist. He does _not_ expect her to whip out five grape-sized beads and place them on the ground before him.

"Have you ever played gonggi, Yi-Jeong-ssi?" she asks, her eyes glinting with excitement.

"Yes," Yi Jeong says. He decides not to tell her that he actually used to drill himself in gonggi in order to improve his hand-eye coordination.

"Back at my high school, they used to call me the gonggi _jjang_," she says, pushing her sleeves over her elbows.

It is a clear challenge, but one that Yi Jeong does not want to take. The more he befriends her, the faster he will fall for her; of that, he is sure. She is too beautiful, too friendly, too intelligent. His only hope is to remain distant.

"Yi Jeong-ssi?" Ga Eul says, and the pleading look in her eyes sways him.

He sends her a teasing grin, scooping up the beads in one fluid motion. "If you surrender now," he says, "I promise to grant you mercy."

Her face lights up in a smile that makes his heart rise to his throat. "We'll see about that," she says.

He is rusty at first. She wins the first round by a mile, the second by a long stretch; but he manages to turn the third barely in his favor, and wins decisively the round after that. The disbelief on her face is evident after he takes his third and final victory.

"You won," she says, as if such an event is a rare and momentous occasion.

"So I did," Yi Jeong says, unable to stop the full-force grin on his face. "What did I win?"

Her eyebrows furrow slightly in confusion. "What?"

"A prize," Yi Jeong explains. "A reward. Something like that."

She pretends to scowl, but her eyes are bright with laughter. "A reward? This is hardly a certified tournament."

"Still," Yi Jeong chuckles. "Look, Ga Eul-ssi, it doesn't need to be extravagant. How about a—a paper certificate, perhaps, or maybe a—"

Without warning, she leans forward and gently touches her lips to his cheek. He cuts off abruptly, feeling his mental processes immediately screech to a halt.

"Will that work?" Ga Eul says, her expression unreadable.

Yi Jeong only stares at her, frozen in shock.

Ga Eul shrugs, then leaps to her feet and strides to the bathroom. "I'll go wash up and get ready for bed," she says. "Thank you for playing, Yi Jeong-ssi. And congratulations."

Even after the door shuts securely, it takes a long moment before Yi Jeong returns to his senses. He slumps against the wall, hand against his forehead, vainly attempting to ignore the hammering of his heartbeat.

He is in trouble.

He is in so much trouble.

::-::

The moment Chu Ga Eul shuts the door behind her, she drops against the ground, suddenly feeling a keen wish to melt right into it and disappear forever.

_What was that all about, Chu Ga Eul? What were you even thinking?_

Perhaps the problem was that she hadn't been thinking at all. Not thinking, only feeling, only going along with that accursed instinct of hers—the instinct that fell for that charming smile, that captivating glint, that lighthearted tone of voice. She had felt a sudden pull to So Yi Jeong, as if there was a magnet between them, drawing them together.

Ga Eul buries her head in her arms, breathing deeply. She can _not_ treat him that way—he is her bodyguard, not a stranger to flirt around with. He is dedicating himself to protect her, to keep her safe, and she is rewarding him by being immature and terribly shortsighted. He deserves a better charge; an obedient charge; a girl that would respect him like he respects her.

Ga Eul leaps to her feet, straightening her hair. She will make it up to him. She will not make the same mistake again.

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_**(A/N: This will be a medium-length fic, probably between 8-12 chapters long.**_

_**Thoughts?)**_


	2. Enigma

_**(A/N: I actually had this chapter written out for a while, but I ran into some technical problems that postponed the release. Sorry about that. Hope you guys enjoy!**_

_**For any that are curious on how I developed this chapter and some fun facts, visit my blog at lcliwrites dot wordpress dot com.)**_

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**Guardian Angel**

**2  
**_enigma_

::-::

He sees her workplace the next day.

It's a tidy little elementary school, where Chu Ga Eul teaches various crafts to a small class of bright-eyed, chubby-cheeked children. Today's special is air-dry clay, which the students gleefully mold into lumpy shapes that are probably supposed to resemble animals.

"Teacher," they call eagerly, "come look!"

And, although all of the sculptures look the same in Yi Jeong's eyes, Ga Eul is somehow able to tell the difference between amorphous cats and dogs, whether the animal is supposed to emulate the student's beloved pet, and even when something that looks like a rhinosaurus is supposed to be a sleek unicorn. She gives each of them a lovely compliment, mellowing out even the most problematic of children.

Seeing her, with that angelic smile on her face, gently guiding the students' hands with her own, sends a feeling that warms Yi Jeong's chest.

_She would make a wonderful mother._

The thought arrives before he can stop it. He tries to explain it away—of course she would make an excellent mother, that is hardly an inappropriate conclusion—but the nagging voice in his head does not let him deny what he really meant by that comment.

::-::

Chu Ga Eul's mind is a jumble by the time they leave the school.

She has been distracted the entire day, concerned with the fact that she would look like an idiot in front of Yi Jeong—a paradox, since worrying about that made her act like an idiot anyway. There's just something about him that sets her on edge; something that sends her skittering whenever he comes within three yards of her; something that she just can't control...

Suddenly, she feels something drive into her shoulder, breaking her train of thought. It's a frenzied businessman, sprinting after a departing taxi. He doesn't even stop to apologize as she stumbles.

A sturdy hand catches the small of her back.

"Careful," Yi Jeong says. He's close enough that she can feel his breath brush against her ear.

"T-thank you," she mumbles, shuffling away. She surreptitiously turns her face away to hide the flush in her cheeks.

Why? Why does Yi Jeong have to be so handsome? The more time she spends with him, the more she can't help but feel like there should be some sort of legal limit on how good-looking a bodyguard could be. Part of her even wishes that her father had hired a bodyguard with more… average looks. Either that, or at least a personality horrible enough for her to ignore his appearance.

"And just what do you think you're doing?"

The sudden harshness in Yi Jeong's voice makes Ga Eul whip around. She witnesses a young man, whose hand—extended towards her purse—is currently bent back at a very painful angle by a stern-looking So Yi Jeong.

"L-let go, old man!" he mumbles, bending forward in an attempt to alleviate the pain.

Yi Jeong pulls back even further, extracting a yelp from the youth. "What was that? _I'm sorry for pick pocketing and I won't do it again_?"

"Tch! No way in h—ow!"

"You were saying?"

"Okay, okay! Just let go!"

"Does that mean, _I understand that my actions have repercussions, and should I resort to any criminal activity again, I'll accept the consequences_?"

"Y-yeah, sure!"

Yi Jeong releases his wrist. He stumbles back, subtly rubbing the sore joint.

"I'm glad we've come to an understanding," Yi Jeong says placidly.

The youth leaps to his feet, and, with a final terrified glance at Yi Jeong, sprints down the street. Ga Eul glances at her bodyguard, tightening her grip on her purse.

"I'm surprised he didn't put up more of a fight," she says.

"I think he just valued his life," Yi Jeong says. His tone is teasing, but his gaze seems distant.

Ga Eul gently puts her hand on his arm. "We probably should've just reported him to the police," she says.

"Don't worry," Yi Jeong says. "He won't cause any more trouble."

"How can you be so sure?" Ga Eul murmurs.

Yi Jeong's jaw barely tightens. "I have experience with his type," he says cryptically.

Something about his expression tells Ga Eul that he has more than just experience, but she decides not to press further. She isn't sure that she is ready to search for the truth.

::-::

He slips out during dinner, when he knows that Ga Eul will be surrounded with family (and a score of elite guards). He doesn't like the thought of leaving his charge even for one minute, but he can't help it. He has some unfinished business to take care of.

It's only a few minutes before he reaches his intended destination: a long, dilapidated alleyway, reeking with years of neglect and misuse. He catches the overpowering smell of rotten eggs and blood.

It's familiar enough for him to consider home.

A glint of metal catches his eye. It's a keypad lock—a pretty new one, from the looks of it, all shiny and unmarred. It doesn't fit with the dingy surroundings, the graffitied alleyway, the trash littering the ground.

He reaches to the lock, fingers resting over the keypad.

"It's been a while," he says, to no one in particular.

Then he punches in the numbers—rapidly, without hesitation. Eight digits, one after the other.

_Beep._

The door clicks. Yi Jeong pulls the handle to the left; it slides open without a whisper.

He enters the room. Although it isn't small by any means, it certainly feels cramped—ratty sofas and torn beanbags stuck in every crevice, old cigarette butts scattered on the ground, overturned boxes slumped against the walls. The middle of the room is occupied by a large couch, upon which a shady figure lies, examining the cracking ceiling as if it is life's biggest puzzle.

"I see you still haven't changed the password," Yi Jeong says, sliding his hands into his pockets.

The figure doesn't budge. "I see ya still remember it," he says.

Yi Jeong moves further into the room. He catches the strong whiff of cigarette smoke, but ignores it. "What are you doing, Woo Bin?" he demands.

The figure leisurely pulls himself up, slinging his legs over the couch with sudden agility. At his full height, he's formidable—torn vest, ragged jeans, with broad shoulders and a toned figure.

"Look'tcha, all prettied up," he says with a grin. "Ya look like a girl."

Yi Jeong keeps his gaze even. "I didn't come to banter with you," he says.

"Ya should've. It's been a while, yeh?" Woo Bin slouches against the wall, resting his thumbs in his pockets. "Last I saw ya, we were slippin' the pocketbooks from the wealthies smooth as butter on a sizzle knife." His smile turns a touch grim. "Them was the good days. Look'tcha now."

Yi Jeong forces his muscles to stay relaxed. "Why are you sending reconnaissance after me?" he presses.

Woo Bin raises a single eyebrow. "Recon, eh?"

"That boy. He tried to pick pocket my charge and I recognized the brand on his wrist. He's one of yours."

Woo Bin pinches his cigarette with two fingers and removes it. "Ya know, not all the guys with that brand are my folks." His gaze hardens. "Can think o' more than a few that ain't with me 'nymore."

Yi Jeong's own gaze is just as cold. "Stop interfering with my career," he says. "It's pissing me off."

Woo Bin's eyes narrow. His cigarette falls on the floor; he grinds it into the ground with his heel. "You lookin' for a fight, Echo?" he growls.

"I'm looking to get my life straightened out." Yi Jeong turns. "Like you should have."

He strides to the door, every sense alert for a possible backstab—but Woo Bin only calls after him.

"Echo."

Despite himself, Yi Jeong slows to a halt.

"That girl o' yours," Woo Bin says. "She catch your eye?"

A pause. Then Yi Jeong speaks.

"You keep away from her, or I will kill you."

His tone is even. He says it as if he's commenting on the weather.

That is how Woo Bin knows that he is serious.


End file.
